One of the most heartbreaking things to me as a church planter and pastor is seeing all of the disunity that can result from special esoteric forms of Christianity that have crept into many churches over the years. Forms of Christianity without the true, real substance of what it means to live life with Christ permeate Christianity today. Forms of Christianity that emphasize the pursuit of things, special giftings and abilities that only some believers have (others are made to feel “second class” since they don’t have the special giftings and abilities), special leadings, esoteric experiences, elite teachings that no one else has like “us”, quick fixes for illnesses or sufferings and even special signs from God - all as a means to help us become more spiritually mature. Yet, ironically, they all miss the true life that God wants us to experience. All of these “things” miss the whole idea of following Christ - of being a disciple of Christ.

The way of following Christ is the antithesis to the pursuit of these things. Following Christ means living by faith, laboring in love and being unwavering in hope (1 The 1:3). Faith is having the conviction of things to come based on our past experiences with God working in our lives. Love is sacrifice. Love means putting the interests of others before our own. Hope keeps us going because we know the end result: becoming more and more like Christ. The more and better life that Jesus mentions in John 10:10 is found through an intimate relationship with him by faith, love and hope.

Following Christ means realizing that suffering, trials and testings over time (James 1:1-4) build into our lives the fruit of the Holy Spirit which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). God’s way of building these things into our lives doesn’t come by anything other than a life of close intimacy and surrendering to Christ in every area of our lives.

God wants us to become more like Jesus - not focused on an inauthentic spirituality that often creates a “we have it” and “you don’t have it” kind of division in the church - and leads many into putting experience on the same level as Scripture. This is exactly why Paul wrote to the Corinthian church. They were doing the same thing. Yet, these same kinds of “we” vs. “they” things are going on in some church communities today and distracting people from experiencing the real life that Jesus has for them.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 1 Cor 13:1-3 (ESV)

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Cor 13:13 (ESV)

Living life with Jesus needs to have first place in our planning, visioning and whatever we do as a church. It’s too easy to get distracted.

If we could just get back to simplicity and what matters most, I think we’d get to the core of what life with Christ is all about. As a church, we’re just trying to focus on helping people who may be new to following Christ or who had a bad experience with church make three connections in life: connect with God, connect with others and care for people. To be fully human and fully alive, God encourages all of us to to experience these connections. But sometimes the way we do church or don’t do church gets in the way of what matters most.

People are spiritually hungry - perhaps more than ever. Jesus said go and make disciples not come and make disciples. God has called us as a church to go and build relationships with people right where they live, and love them and share Christ with them. In Matthew 5:16, Jesus said, In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

A paraphrase of Matthew 5:16 reads like this …

In the same way, let your light shine before all people, that they may see your … small, ordinary acts of kindness that are real and authentic … because when they connect what you’re doing for them to your faith in Christ … it leaves them with a good taste in their mouth about God and may open them up to what you have to say about Him.

When it comes to integrating emotional health with spiritual maturity as a follower of Christ, finding safe places and relationships is key. We need relationships where we can be real and honest about what’s going on in our lives helps so we can break free of things that keep us from experiencing all that God has for us.